


Back in New York

by kleighanna



Series: Around the World [3]
Category: Castle
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2010-06-09
Updated: 2010-06-09
Packaged: 2017-10-10 00:32:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/93306
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kleighanna/pseuds/kleighanna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It all starts with coffee and Broadway.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
> 
> This will eventually run parallel to the third installment on the Kate/Castle side of the story. It follows Miami Heat which you do kind of need to read in order to understand parts of this.

** **Back in New York** **

_ _Chapter 1_ _

Say Thank You with Dinner

. . . . .

Doctor Lanie Parish – ME extraordinaire if she did say so herself – hummed a little to herself as she efficiently stitched up the Y-incision on her latest autopsy. Her notes lay on a small table beside her, fully filled out and waiting for Detective Rice to pick them up whenever he decided they were necessary. Four similar files sat behind her on a table waiting for their respective detectives, but none of the files were for the man who came strolling through her doors.

"Detective," she greeted Javier Esposito, unable to stop the upward curving of her lips. Since Kate's shooting three weeks ago and their return to New York fourteen days before, he'd been dropping by her morgue quite often. And that was a simple statement of fact, not a reflection on whether or not she liked it.

"Doc," he replied, weaving his way towards the body she was finishing with. He slid a take-away cup on the little table Rice's file was on and this time, Lanie couldn't stop the full smile that spread across her face. Every time he dropped by, he brought her coffee. She was starting to get used to it.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" She tied off her stitches and snapped off her gloves, reaching up behind her to untie the strings of the gown she wore. But, much to her utter shock, he was there first, batting her hands out of the way and making quick work of the bows she'd tied.

"Can't a guy just bring coffee?" he teased, stepping away from her.

Lanie balled the gown up with her gloves, depositing them in the garbage. Then she stepped back, picking up her coffee and taking a whiff. "When he makes a special trip for it?" she asked having too keen of a nose not to pick up on the fact that this coffee didn't come from the station. "It's bribery."

He grinned and Lanie cursed the butterflies that started swirling in her stomach. "Okay, I may have a favour to ask."

"I'm listening," she replied, sipping her coffee and leaning against her autopsy table.

"Mrs R gave Ryan tickets to a Broadway show last week for everything…"

Lanie just nodded. It was still a little uncomfortable for them to discuss Kate's shooting. They'd been inches from losing her.

"Anyway, Ryan asked for an extra one for Jenny and, well…"

"Conned you into a double date," she filled in, her amusement growing with every second. Javier had an aversion to Broadway. Hell, an aversion to most things that had the potential of emasculating him. She made a mental note to ask Ryan what he'd said or done to convince Javier to attend a Broadway performance.

"Well, you're half right. I don't have a date."

Her eyebrow shot into the air. "_That's_ your favour?"

"Why not?" he replied with a shrug. "I figure, we enjoy each other's company, probably keep each other sane through the whole thing."

Admittedly, Lanie didn't like Broadway much either. Sure, she liked a good flick every now and again, but Broadway? Nuh uh. She'd much rather go party in a club, thanks, and even then, those nights were few and far between. If she was looking for a way to cool down from a long day, she actually preferred the late-night infomercials, if only because her mother had watched them when she was a child. It had become her habit as much as it was her mother's.

Still, she narrowed her eyes playfully. "What do I get?"

"Besides my charming company?" Javier shot back and Lanie rolled her eyes. "A night on the town, even if it is Broadway."

She paused, thinking then blurted, "Am I getting dinner out of this deal?"

Shock spread over his face, and he masked it just shy of her awareness of it. "Don't know," he replied. "I'll check with Ryan and get back to you?"

"Sure thing," she nodded, hoping her attitude was back where it was supposed to. She sipped at her coffee. He was watching her, oddly, as if she'd said something she shouldn't have. Eventually, though, the corner of his mouth tilted upwards.

"I'll call you with more info."

Lanie smirked. "You do that." Then she nodded to the table two down from hers. "I'll call you when I'm done carving up your guy like a turkey."

"That's just wrong, Doc." But a true smile played around his lips and Lanie had to hide her own behind her coffee cup. "I'll see you."

"Thanks for the coffee," she called after him. The door swung shut on his acknowledging wave and Lanie found herself taking a deep breath, a little bit in confusion, a little bit in unmitigated glee. He'd asked her out. Sure, it was on a double date with his best friend and it was a last minute choice, but he had, for all intents and purposes asked her out. Which was the cause of the butterflies in her stomach, but also her confusion. Sure, they flirted, they flirted constantly but things had changed since their time in Miami. And part of Lanie really wasn't totally sure if she liked the changes.

* * *

When Lanie's name flashed on his caller ID the next day, Javier felt something twist in his chest. "Good morning, Doctor Parish."

"Good morning, Detective." He could hear the warm smile in her voice and he felt his face move to echo it.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asked, leaning back in his chair, propping his feet on his desk. Ryan was watching him with an arched eyebrow, but he ignored it.

"The lab came back with trace and DNA and I have the autopsy report on your vic," Lanie replied, tone suddenly all business. It floored him, that she could do that kind of a one-eighty with no warning. Reminded him a little of Beckett, actually.

"Did you find anything?"

"You know I did," she replied her attitude back again and he grinned. "Say thank you with gifts."

"How about I say thank you with dinner?"

"Dinner?" Lanie sounded curious, and something else that Javier couldn't put his finger on.

"Dinner and Broadway. Ryan said he's taking Jenny out and extended the invitation. You still in?"

She huffed out a sigh. "You owe me, you know." He heard her grumbling something about plays and manipulative partners that made him chuckle as they hung up.

Ryan had an eyebrow in the air. "You invited Lanie?"

"Bro, if you're going to make me suffer through Broadway, I'm gonna bring someone I know is going to be entertaining. No reason to be bored by the show _and_ the date."

As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he knew they'd been wrong. He saw the glee light up his partner's eyes. "Date, huh?" Ryan questioned with a smirk. "Does the good doctor know this is a date?"

"Dude, seriously?" Javier said, looking away. "This is Lanie."

"You think I haven't noticed the texting? And the teasing? I'm a detective."

"Then maybe you should do more detecting and less assumin'," Javier shot back as he stood. "Beckett'll shoot us both if she comes back and you've taken on Castle's role of writing fiction."

"It's not fiction if it's true." There was a gleeful look on Ryan's face as he took in his partner's uncomfortable demeanour. He wasn't blind, he'd noticed the texting, he'd noticed the teasing, and he'd caught the two of them while Lanie cried her eyes out in Miami. He'd seen the look on his partner's face, how upset he'd been that the ME was crying. There was something there, and Ryan knew it.

"Then it's fiction," Javier responded, trying not to roll his eyes. "Come on, Lanie's got somethin'."

Ryan's smirk grew. _Fiction my ass_, he thought to himself. He just wondered if the good doctor and his partner would be as bad as Castle and Beckett.


	2. Non-Date Interrupted

**Back in New York**

_Chapter 2_

Non-Date Interrupted

. . . . .

As she climbed in the cab that would take her to the restaurant for dinner four days later, Lanie couldn't help but be thankful that she'd remembered to text Javier that she'd meet them at the restaurant. Her last autopsy had run later than she'd anticipated thanks to some rush lab work that needed to go through and she'd had to change at the lab rather than at home. But, being used to the constant unpredictability of her job, she'd prepared by bringing everything with her. She'd chosen a simple black dress, both a date favourite and just shy of formal. She'd curled her hair that morning and she'd only had to touch it up in the bathroom.

Now, she was virtually bouncing in the seat of the cab as it drove through the New York traffic. Honestly, Lanie wasn't one hundred percent sure of how she felt about the night ahead of her. In the week since Javier had asked her to come along, she'd talked to him every day, both case and non-case related. That was how he'd passed on the information that dinner was included in their foray into the New York nightlife. During those days she'd managed to convince herself that the night was truly a date and tell herself that it was utterly ridiculous to consider it as such a thing.

They were coworkers, friends at best, but even she wasn't stupid or blind. She recognized the changes and shifts that had been happening. Kate had started sending the boys down for their information more and more – something Lanie kind of attributed to Castle and his unique ability to get the woman to go home and lighten her load every once in a while – and so coworkers had turned to friends. Friends that teased and poked fun. But Lanie had noticed that even the tone of their teasing had changed over time. And she wasn't blind to the man's physique. Their teasing had long been playful before they were informed they would be going to Miami and Lanie had been more than pleased to see the double-take he'd done when she'd joined their little party before the premiere.

Then Kate had been shot. Her entire focus had been on her friend at the time, focused on ensuring the detective was as stable as they could make her before the paramedics came with actual equipment, but after that… After her part had been finished she'd deflated a little. But when Javier had made it to the hospital on the heels of Castle, he'd reached out and squeezed her shoulder and her insides had settled enough for her to keep a cool head about her. He'd been sweet, sincere and caring while Kate was in the hospital, stoic even though she knew that the possibility of Kate dying made him just as uncomfortable as it made her. And he hadn't said anything when she'd broken down at the Miami Dade police station.

And now he brought her coffee. They texted too, both about the cases and about nothing at all. Just the other day she'd shot him a message complaining about Perlmutter's latest and greatest quirk, just because. She'd asked herself what it meant from time to time, but never had the answer been quite as important as it was now. Now, she was presented with a different situation. Ryan was bringing his girlfriend, so what did that mean for her? Was this a date or had Javier really just asked because they were both friends that disliked Broadway enough to laugh at mocking comments along the way?

Lanie shook her head savagely. Why was she analyzing it? He was a good friend, or at least someone who was turning into a good friend. She was getting ahead of herself in worrying about whether or nor Javier had meant this to be a date and she was going to analyze herself into a nervous tizzy if she kept it up.

But when she saw him waiting outside the restaurant in a suit with no tie, her stomach jumped traitorously.

"Detective," she greeted with a slightly tired smile after paying the cabbie. Her stomach flopped again when he offered a hand to help her out of the cab.

"Doc," he responded. "Glad to see you made it."

"I'd've been here earlier but-"

"Work," Javier finished, his mouth twitch up. She'd sent him a text that she was going to be running behind.

She smiled. "Exactly." It had been a long time since her company understood that some things just got in the way. "Ryan?"

"He and his girl are already inside. I told them I'd wait for you."

Lanie hoped she wasn't blushing as he used the hand he still held to tug her along behind him. She followed, a grin spreading quickly over her face when they reached the table and Ryan stood to greet her with a kiss on the cheek as Javier pulled out her chair. She shot them both approving looks as she settled in.

"Look at you two," she teased. "All gentlemanly off duty." She smiled at the blond already seated. "Lanie Parish."

"Jenny Knight," she responded with a bright, ready smile. Lanie could see why Ryan liked her and smiled as said detective's hand came to rest on the woman's on the table. Jenny cocked her head to the side. "You work with the NYPD, right?"

"Something like that," Lanie replied. Her job wasn't usually a hot topic of conversation and she'd become terribly used to playing it down and avoiding talk about it.

Thankfully, Javier seemed to pick up on it and changed the topic quickly. Conversation flowed light and easy over dinner between all four of them. Even discovering Javier had paid for her dinner while she and Jenny had gone to the bathroom couldn't really ruin her night. In fact, it made her heart beat just a little bit faster and had her mind spinning, despite her self-promise to avoid analyzing what was going on.

_He told you he'd say thank you by buying dinner_, she reminded herself as she took her seat again, forcing herself away from any other reason for paying. It was so much safer.

When they stepped out into the warm New York air, Javier offered her his arm for the walk to the theatre. She took it with a pleased smile.

"I'm impressed, Detective," she said with a little laugh. "Though I still don't know how you talked me into this."

He laughed with her. "I can't believe Ryan got me to agree," he admitted ruefully.

"How _did_ he do that?" Lanie asked with a mischievous grin. "Just so I know how best to get you to agree to my every whim."

"You know, I'm not quite sure myself," Javier lied. He knew exactly what had drawn him to Ryan's offer and it was the easy-going atmosphere it presented. He'd been angling for a way to ask Lanie out for a while and Broadway offered the perfect buffer to see if dating could actually work without the pressure. They both hated Broadway and he hadn't been lying to Ryan when he'd said that he wanted to invite Lanie along because he already knew he enjoyed her company.

But it was more than that. He'd noticed Lanie from the beginning. It was hard not to. If you didn't notice her by looks, her attitude came across loud and clear within the first moment of meeting her. Javier appreciated that attitude and her sharp intellect. Working with her was always a pleasure and it had become more so since they'd become friends. He liked seeing her smile when he brought her coffee, liked seeing her ID pop up on his phone. But Lanie was intimidating and he didn't want to go on an honest to goodness date with her and screw up their friendship. Ryan's offer had been the perfect cover.

And so far, he liked to think it was working. Joking and laughing at dinner had been second nature and if he'd touched her more often than usual, she didn't seem to mind. And she hadn't commented when she'd returned from the bathroom to find he'd paid for her dinner, just arched an eyebrow with a small smile playing about her lips. He was already having fun and he attributed a lot of that to the ME's presence.

"The things we do for partners, I guess," Lanie said with a grin, bringing his attention back to their walk. And just in the nick of time as she stumbled over an uneven sidewalk block. He had quick reflexes though and he stepped in front of her smoothly, catching her as she caught herself against him.

"First day on the new feet there, Doc?" he teased, righting her again, his hand sliding down to cup her hip.

Her laughter was just dying on her lips as she looked up at him and he cursed himself. This was supposed to be a trial date. Heck, Lanie didn't even know it was a trial date and looking at her now, he wanted to kiss her. He was leaning in, he knew he was leaning in, when Ryan's voice broke over the hustle and bustle of the street.

"You guys coming? We're going to be late!"

Javier just barely managed to refrain from clearing his throat as he offered her a smile and his arm again. They walked the rest of the way in a comfortable if charged silence and settled into their seats for the first act. If his stomach jumped a little every time she murmured a sarcastic comment in his ear, he ignored it.

It wasn't until the intermission that fate threw a wrench in her good night.

Javier's phone went off first, and he apologized as he stepped away to take the call, taking the warmth of the arm he'd wrapped around Lanie's waist with him. He sighed when he returned and he knew Lanie could tell by the look on his face that the news wasn't good. He felt her purse vibrate and though they now had work to do, he couldn't help but feel a little lighter knowing she was going to be working the case with them.

"West 129th and Amsterdam," she murmured.

"Same."

"I have to go by the lab," she said, looking down at herself. "Damn. I was having a good time too."

Yeah, he knew that feeling. It was the only thing he hadn't wanted to deal with, the one thing he'd hoped above all else wouldn't ruin his night.

They had a body.


	3. Murder, Coffee, Dinner

**Back in New York**

_Chapter 3_

Murder, Coffee, Dinner

. . . . .

He'd already interviewed the couple that found the body and everyone associated with the crime scene by the time Lanie came strolling out of the apartment onto the rooftop garden. He forced himself to push the date out of his mind and focus instead on their friendship and their work relationship. Even so, he was disappointed to see she'd changed out of the dress. It was a nice dress. Instead, she wore a dark blue jumpsuit, NYPD emblazoned on the back.

"Evening Doc," he greeted as if he hadn't seen her into a cab forty-five minutes ago.

She shot him a wry look, but the sparkle in her eye told him she was willing to play along. "Detective. I just got here, I have no information for you."

Javier grinned as he watched her snap on a pair of latex gloves as she crouched beside the body. "ID?"

"Patience," she scolded as she leaned over the scantily clad woman. Their vic wore an emerald green slip dress, face down in the grass with blood matted in her chestnut brown hair. Lanie did a check of the back of the body for anything interesting before waving him forward and handing him is own pair of gloves. "Help me flip her."

There was a black clutch under the woman's body and Javier leaned down to pick it up. He snapped it open and reached inside, pawing through the contents. "I always feel weird doin' this."

"Is that why you always have Kate go through them?" Lanie inquired, even as her gaze stayed fixed on the body, moving her eyes only as far as her clipboard to jot a few notes down before moving back to the body.

"I'm well-trained," he replied, still going through the contents. Lipstick, gloss, condoms… "I know better than to go through a woman's purse."

"Your sisters?"

He had two, and they'd come up in discussion more than once. He smiled slightly, making an amused noise. Really, he'd learned that lessons from girlfriends, but he felt terribly uncomfortable with telling Lanie that. Finally, he pulled out a driver's license. "Rosalin Nettles. Address puts her as a tenant of the building."

"Swanky digs, if you ask me," Lanie replied, jotting the name down. "Looks like blunt force trauma." She glanced down at the thermometer the beeped at her. "I've got TOD between two and three hours ago."

"Two to three hours puts TOD… somewhere between seven and eight tonight." Javier crouched down beside her. "What brought her up here, dressed like this, when her apartment's just downstairs?"

Lanie raised an eyebrow. "I'm the ME, not the detective."

He chuckled slightly before pushing himself back to standing. "We'll be in touch."

"You can bet on it, Detective."

* * *

Javier pulled the cruiser to a stop in front of a coffee shop the next morning. He and Ryan were on their way back to the precinct after canvassing the apartment building where they'd found Rosalin Nettles, having decided that grumpy tenants weren't worth the hassle the night before. They'd gone home, slept, canvassed, and were now stopping for coffee after their questions had turned up no useful answers.

Ryan sighed heavily as they moved onto the sidewalk. "Here's to hoping Lanie finds something, 'cause we've got nothing, Bro."

Javier jolted slightly at the ME's name, but continued into the shop. "She'll pull through."

"You've got a lot of faith in your girl."

"She's always pulled through for us," Javier responded, then shot his partner a glare. "And she's not my girl."

"That the problem?" Ryan asked with a little smirk, eyeing his partner. The man had been fidgety all morning, something that never happened. Javier was cool, collected, _always_. "You two seemed pretty cozy last night. And you bought her dinner. Screams date, my friend."

"It wasn't a date, it was two friends keepin' each other company through the crap that you forced on me. Dinner was the least I could do considering she agreed to suffer too," Javier retorted. "And who keeps track of that stuff anyway? Your manliness is seriously coming into question, man."

"I don't know. Our good doctor seemed pretty disappointed the night had been ruined." Ryan grinned as Javier's phone rang and he dove for the vibrating device. "Speak of the devil."

Javier glared, even as he hit 'talk'. "Good morning, Doctor Parish."

"It's almost lunch time," Lanie's voice floated over the line.

He checked his watch. "Still early enough to be morning," he informed her. "I'm assuming this isn't a social call."

"'Fraid not," she answered and part of him wondered if there really was an undertone of something akin to disappointment in her voice. "Business call. I have a whole folder of information for you boys."

"And it's not even my birthday," he quipped.

"You just think you're so cute…" she shot back sarcastically.

Javier chuckled. "We'll be downtown in twenty."

"I'll be timing you."

He shook his head as he hung up and studiously avoided Ryan's curious stare when he ordered a latte, no whip and cinnamon, along with his own black coffee.

* * *

Lanie grinned widely as a cup of coffee appeared at her elbow. She flashed that grin at the detective who stood over her shoulder, his partner not far behind. "Well, look at you, bringing me presents."

He grinned back. "I hear you have one for us."

"I have many for you," she replied, pushing herself out of her seat and heading for the body she'd just finished. "Rosalin Nettles died of blunt force trauma to the back of the head. Took a couple of hits to kill her."

"Hesitation?" Ryan asked, his ever-present notebook and pen in hand.

"Could be," Lanie allowed, reaching around Javier for the file she'd left on the metal table. She held in the smile that lifted the corner of her mouth when his body stiffened slightly. At least if she never got closure on whether the previous night had been their first and last date, she knew she affected him. She liked that idea. "Or your guy's not all that strong. She's got defensive wounds on her arms."

"DNA?" Javier asked.

The ME met his gaze, eyes twinkling. "Oh yeah. And lots of it."

"Oh, I'm listening," Ryan said with a grin.

"Well, there were male epithelials under her fabulously manicured nails, but I've got at least three other donors."

Ryan and Javier exchanged a look.

"Define donors," Ryan requested.

"I've got saliva and semen," Lanie replied, checking the notes in the folder. "Multiple donors for both too. From the looks of things our girl had multiple sexual partners just before she died."

Ryan's eyebrow went up. "Are you telling us this girl was in an orgy?"

"Dude, Castle would _love_ this," Javier couldn't help exclaiming. He shook his head as he and Ryan exchanged a look. "We're going to have to go back and talk to all of those tenants."

Ryan nodded, already moving towards the door. Javier hung back, accepting the file of lab results as Lanie made her way back to her coffee. He looked almost nervous and she cocked her head to the side as she picked up the cup.

"Somethin' on your mind, Detective?"

"Actually, Lanie, yeah."

Now she was truly curious. Javier rarely called her 'Lanie', preferring some sort of reference to her medical degree. "Everything okay?"

"I'm thinkin' I owe you," he said. "For Broadway and all. And for our body."

Lanie felt warmth trickle down her nerves. "Our night did get cut off."

"So, I'm thinkin' dinner tomorrow," he said, his voice low.

"I may be able to swing that," she replied, hoping she wasn't blushing.

Javier grinned. "Excellent. I'll call you." He took a few steps, then turned back to her. "See you around, Lanie."

She hid her smile behind her coffee cup. He still brought her coffee and now he'd invited her to dinner. Maybe the previous night had been a date after all. And maybe it had gone so well he wanted another crack at it. Lanie allowed herself to grin as the doors to the morgue swung shut behind the detectives, nervous anticipation swirling though her stomach. It had been a long time since she'd been truly nervous about a date.

Then again, it had been a long time since the prospect of a date with a guy had meant as much.


	4. I Dare You

**Back in New York**

_Chapter 4_

I Dare You

. . . . .

Lanie forced herself to take a deep breath as she looked into the mirror. Javier would be by her place soon and she had to admit, she was nervous. Tonight, she knew, was a real date. There was no question about it, no ifs, or maybes. There would be no Jenny or Ryan to substitute conversation if it faded and no easy diversions if things started falling apart. Just her and Javier and whatever date idea he'd thought up. She forced herself to breathe as she reached for her cosmetic bag. She was starting to feel the pressure.

First and foremost, they were friends. And their friends were friends. If things went wrong, if it turned out that dating wasn't going to work for them, things were going to get awkward. Not to mention that they worked together on a regular basis. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin their friendship because things got awkward between them. Knowing that she wanted to keep the friendship there added extra pressure on the night.

But Lanie Parish wasn't one to back away from the first sign of difficulty. As a woman who had basically raised her four younger siblings while her parents worked multiple jobs to keep the family afloat, she'd been through her fair share of personal pressure, not to mention the stress of medical school. This, however, was totally different and she knew it. None of those thoughts were comforting her at the moment. She genuinely _liked_ Javier and she really did want the night to go well.

Then again, there was the potential that all of the internal panic was for nothing. Most of the reasons the night was terrifying her were also reasons why the date could be actually fantastic. They were friends, so they didn't have to go through the awkward getting-to-know-you questions, and didn't have to worry about bringing up difficult topics of conversation because they already knew where some of those boundary lines were. She knew and understood being called away for a crime scene and she knew she didn't have to watch what she said about her job. She was comfortable with Javier and as much as it was terrifying, it was comforting too.

That didn't stop her from jumping when he knocked on the door. She put on the best smile she could as she opened the door, making a show of eyeing him from head to toe. "Evening, Detective."

"Back at ya, Doc," he answered with a wide smile.

Lanie preened at the appreciative look in his eyes as he took her in. He'd texted her that afternoon to ask if they were still on and subsequently inform her that the dress code for the evening was casual. So, Lanie had donned jeans to battle the cool June wind and a lightweight pink tank, a sweater tucked in her purse if she got cold. She'd topped the look off with her favourite pair of black heeled boots she'd bought on impulse when she and Kate had gone shopping just after Christmas. Javier had chosen jeans as well and a t-shirt that showcased the muscles of his chest.

Her smile turned a bit more genuine as she caught sight of the bright red flowers. "Those for me?"

"I know I said casual," he replied, holding them out to her with a chuckle, "but my ma would have my head if I didn't bring a girl flowers on the first date."

"So Broadway didn't count?" Lanie cursed herself as soon as the words were out of her mouth. She hadn't meant to say them and she definitely hadn't managed to sound surprised and maybe a little hurt when she did.

But Javier's mouth quirked up in amusement and pleasure and she felt some of her embarrassment fade. "First official date, then."

She knew, despite her best effort, she was blushing. "Come on in while I find a vase."

A few minutes later they were stepping out onto the street, their arms brushing as they walked. Lanie found herself chewing her lip.

"So what's the plan?"

Javier grinned. "You trust me, right?"

"Have you been talking to Castle?" she retorted, her eyebrow rising.

"I can plan a surprise date without Castle's help," he shot back, stepping to the curb to hail a cab.

She shook her head in amusement. "Who says I even like surprises?"

"You'll like this one," he told her, sliding into the backseat of the cab after her.

"You're pretty sure of yourself."

"Nah, just confident in you," he answered with a wide grin.

"In me?" she inquired, a smirk playing about her face. She thanked him when he held the cab door open for her and slid across the back seat. They briefly discussed the case – the boys had discovered their victim was part of a swingers club, explaining the multiple DNA donors and cementing the idea that Castle would have _loved_ the case – as the cab inched through New York's traffic. They pulled up along the edge of Central Park and, after battling quickly over who would be covering the cab fare, Lanie found herself waiting for him on the sidewalk.

He grinned and took her hand when he reached the walk. "Tell me, Doc, how do you feel about street meat?"

It was her weakness, the indulgence she didn't let herself partake in often because of the sheer amount of grease. She matched his grin and his stride as they headed along the street. "I could go for a sausage." With all the fixings.

Javier laughed as they started walking again and Lanie herself wondering if he knew about her weakness. Twenty minutes later, their idle chit-chat had faded with their hot dogs and silence settled over them. She could feel the nerves creeping up in her stomach as the conversation died and she blurted the first thing that came to her mind.

"Truth or dare?"

"I'm sorry?" he asked, taken aback as he crumpled his napkin.

"You heard me, Detective," she replied, injecting sass into her voice again. She felt the butterflies recede as she met his eyes with a sly grin. "Truth or dare?"

Javier considered her a moment before his eyes dilated and a slow smile spread over his face. "Truth."

Lanie paused a minute, thinking. They were friends, but that didn't mean she could just dive into the deep questions. "What was your favourite TV show as a kid?"

"Scooby Doo," he answered after his own moment of thought. He neatly divested her of her own crumpled napkin and headed for a nearby trashcan. When he made his way back to her, he held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. "Your turn. Truth or dare, Lanie?"

Her stomach warmed at the use of her first name. "Truth."

He asked his question – what superhero would she be – and she gave her answer – Catwoman, because she was as much a hero and a villain and it reflected her personality so well – and they continued that way as they wandered through the park. She broke the pattern first, just as they came up to the fountain in the conservatory.

"Truth or dare?"

Lanie felt her lips quirk upwards in her well-practiced smirk. "Dare."

"You sure about that, Doc?" Javier asked, an eyebrow arching upwards.

"Wouldn't have said it if I wasn't sure," she answered, her smirk still playing about the corners of her mouth.

He paused, looking around until his eyes rested on the fountain. "I dare you to put your bare feet in the fountain."

"That's tame," she teased, even as she released the hand he still held to use his shoulder for balance while she removed her shoes and socks.

"I figured with our close ties to the NYPD we should avoid dares Castle would be proud of," he responded, watching her pick her way carefully to the water.

She admitted to herself she was intrigued by the idea that he could come up with dares that would make Castle grin. The writer's devilish streak was legend, to their close-knit group of friends, the NYPD and, more appropriately, the general public. Even so, Lanie laughed as she dipped her toes into the water. It was a terribly logical theory, after all. "So, how long do I have to do this?"

"Until your next turn," he replied easily, picking up her socks and boots where she left them at his feet.

"In which case," she said with a wide smile and a twinkle in her eye. "Truth or dare?"

They learned a lot of little things about each other as the night moved on. Lanie learned he'd been raised on Disney movies and had received first prize in his junior high science fair. Javier learned that, even in heels, and with a boost due to her petite stature, she could climb trees effortlessly and that while she loved all three of her younger siblings, it was her youngest brother, the second youngest overall, that she was closets to and doted on. They continued that way through the park, exchanging stories with new ease.

"You're kidding!" Lanie exclaimed, laughing heartily after Javier recounted a story of Ryan's first day on the job.

"Nah. And you know your girl's reputation precedes her. Did even then," he responded with a wide grin. "Spillin' coffee down her front and on the casefile?"

She burst into laughter again.

Javier was still grinning when her laughter died down. "Your turn."

Her laughter was still in her voice and in her eyes as she chose 'dare'. She saw something spark in his eyes before he stopped, pulling her around to face him.

"I dare you to dance with me, Doctor Parish," Javier challenged.

"Without music?" But sure enough, he started swaying back and forth with her. "I didn't take you for a romantic."

"I'm not," he answered, his grin widening, "but you, Lanie Parish, are."

She blushed.

"You play it off well," he allowed, "but I'm a detective. And you wouldn't have fought so hard for Beckett and Castle if you weren't a romantic."

It hit her then, sharp and quick as lightning, that he'd been watching her, paying attention to her a lot longer than she'd thought. She met his gaze, vaguely aware of the flattered blush sweeping over her cheeks. "You're an observant man, Javier," she murmured.

He shrugged, a little bit of self-deprecation in the movement. "You're an intriguing woman."

They swayed for a few more minutes before he took her hand. A comfortable silence had settled over them for the first time since their night had begun and it stayed that way as they headed out of the park. They didn't say anything in the cab ride back either, though anticipation grew between them, fluttering through Lanie's stomach from tingles in her toes. Their hands stayed entwined for the ride and there was no question when they reached her apartment as to whether or not he was going to walk her to her door. As they walked down the hall and Lanie could see her door coming closer, she broke the silence.

"Truth or dare?"

Javier met her eyes as she made no attempt to go for her keys. "Dare," he answered as they stopped in front of her door.

She faced him head on, her free hand coming to rest on his very well-defined bicep. "Kiss me."

"I didn't hear a dare in there, Doc," he replied with a grin, even as he stepped closer.

She didn't hesitate. "I dare you-"

He didn't wait for her to finish before he lowered his mouth to hers. Lanie wrapped her free arm around his neck as she returned the kiss and his arm wrapped around her back. Heat lanced through her blood, but neither made a move to deepen the contact. He eased back, looking at her, his hand flat against her back, thumb stroking in small circles.

"I had a good time tonight, Lanie."

She chuckled as her hand stroked over his shoulder and down his arm again. She reached into one of the front pockets of her purse, easily extracting her keys. "Me too."

"So," he murmured. "Again?"

Her hand, keys and all since her other was still tangled with his, fell to her hip. "Are you asking me on a second date, Detective?"

"A third, actually," he corrected.

A genuinely happy smile slid across her face, pleasure sliding through her. "A girl can't turn down an invitation like that."

Javier smiled as he leaned in again and pressed a lingering kiss to her cheek. "Night, Doc."

"Night Detective."

Lanie slid into her apartment and flipped the locks. Then she took a deep breath, letting it out slowly to tamp down the excited butterflies in her stomach. She was wired, riding a high. A third date. She really liked that idea.


	5. The Infamous Coffee Metaphor

**Back in New York**

_Chapter 5_

The Infamous Coffee Metaphor

. . . . .

A week.

It had been a week since their date – _second_ date – and they hadn't been able to make time for a third. It was driving him nuts.

It wasn't like they were out of contact. Oh no, there was a constant barrage of text messages and he'd almost made it a point now to bring her a coffee when he stepped out for lunch. He didn't have to, he knew that, but he enjoyed seeing her and he enjoyed seeing her eyes light up, even if it was only for the coffee. He didn't even blink twice when he'd stepped into the morgue while she was half way through an autopsy.

And it wasn't like they hadn't tried. They'd planned it twice. The first time, Ryan had called him to say they'd found a lead in Rosalin Nettles' death. He'd got caught up in the leads the forensics, the financials… Lanie had been understanding, but he still felt terrible. But karmic payback kicked in when they'd been about to leave the precinct and Lanie had been called in on a body. Remembering the way she'd sworn, loudly, still made him grin.

It was one of the things he liked best about Lanie Parish. One second, she was a refined medical examiner, killer on the stand when she testified and lethal when armed with lab results and autopsy findings. The next minute she was a classy and sophisticated woman, smart and sassy and maybe a little bit out of his league. Then she vamped and became the tough as nails woman born and raised in Queens that could swear like a sailor and probably take him out. She was a chameleon and though she didn't necessarily keep secrets, she was an enigma in her own right.

What almost pissed Javier off more was that they were down to their last legs. They'd been running for a week, trying to stay ahead of the swingers club that had the closest connection to Rosalin Nettles without success. Their original suspects, Brad and Anne Mills, had corroborated each other's story about being together the night Rosalin was killed. Apparently, the thrill was in the idea, rather than the actual action and when Javier and Ryan had questioned the other members of the club, they'd agreed that though the Mills showed up to the parties, they always left together and never so much as kissed another remember of the club. The fact that Brad Mills didn't match any of the semen samples Lanie had recovered had quite neatly eliminated them from the pool.

Michelle and Alan Corners had been their next suspects. Well, more appropriately, their teenage daughter Kylee who had learned of the swingers club. They'd happened across that piece of information almost by fluke when Michelle came in for questioning with a bruise forming on her cheek. Kylee admitted to discovering her father and Rosalin Nettles in bed together and while she seemed to be okay with the idea of swingers – though neither Javier or Ryan could understand how a teenager would be okay with their parents sleeping with other people – Rosalin was quite obviously a pain in the girl's side. And Kylee hadn't made a secret of how snobby she thought Rosalin was. But that lead had gone cold when three other teenagers told the same story of Kylee being at a sleepover the night of Rosalin's death.

Which left them with Rosalin's husband, Jonah, and the self-proclaimed leaders of the swingers club, Evangeline and George Parrington. The process of elimination meant that it had been just yesterday Javier and Ryan had pulled together the phone and financial records for the Parringtons and both Jonah and Rosalin Nettles. It had been quite the discovery. Financial records for George Parrington showed a number of motel and hotel charges to his credit card, while Rosalin's phone records showed an inordinate amount of calls to George's phone. Jonah maintained he didn't know about the affair when they'd talked to him that morning, and Evangeline had offered to stop by the precinct later in the afternoon. They hadn't been able to get in contact with George.

But they would keep trying, and in the meantime, Ryan and Javier had stopped for lunch.

"Know what though?" Ryan was saying as he crumpled up the wrapper for his sub. "If the Parringtons started the club, I can't see them being pissed about Rosalin having an affair with George."

Javier snorted. "You don't think they could get territorial?"

"It just seems weird that they would, you know?" Ryan replied as they left the deli and headed down the street. They had a routine and it included a coffee stop.

"Your money's on the husband."

"Yours isn't?"

"Nope," Javier replied as they cued up in the coffee line. "Lanie said the first couple of blows could have been because our perp wasn't strong enough to kill her in one. My money's on the Mrs."

"Evangeline Parrington? Okay, I'll give you that killing is probably not in her repertoire, but you seriously think she killed over an affair?"

"Oldest and purest motive," Javier pointed out. "Sex."

"I don't know," Ryan replied with a shrug as Javier stepped forward to order coffee. "She doesn't strike me as the jealous type. Or the killing type, for that matter."

Javier quickly ordered his black coffee and, half out of habit and half because he wanted to, he ordered Lanie's daily latte. He stepped aside and caught Ryan shaking his head. "What?"

"Dude, coffee? Again? How many times is that?"

Javier wasn't about to admit it was daily. Not to Ryan. "A few."

"A few? No, bro. A few would be once or twice, not daily for a week."

"How do you know it's been daily?" Javier asked, injecting disbelief into his voice. Ryan was probably his best friend, but he wanted to keep things with Lanie quiet for a little bit longer. They worked together and he didn't want Ryan to go spreading it around until Javier was sure it was heading somewhere.

And he wanted it to head somewhere. He enjoyed her company, her sass, her spunk. Their park date had been better than nice and he'd been blown away by their kiss at her door. Which was why he was so irritated by the fact that they hadn't had a chance for a third date yet. He wanted to get the case closed and out of the way so he could have a little bit more time on his hands.

"Dude, I'm a detective. How do you think I know you've been taking her coffee daily."

Javier eyed his partner. "You called in that favour Masterson owes you from the Darna case."

Ryan just shrugged. "You know coffee's cop talk for flowers, right? I mean, most men bring flowers to surprise our women, we bring coffee?"

"And what, your honeymilk is your equivalent?"

"All I want to know is whether or not you're dating our good doc," Ryan said with a sly smile. "'Cause Masterson and I have a bet going and if I'm right he owes me twenty bucks and he's still indebted to me."

Javier didn't answer, just waited for the extra coffee, sipping absently from his.

"Fine," Ryan acquiesced as he took his own two cream one sugar from the barista. "Then at least give me details. You sleeping together?"

Javier's hackles went up immediately. "Dude, this is Lanie. What do you think?" He knew immediately his partner had taken the comment the wrong way by the light that sparked in his eyes.

"I want to know _details_, man! Is she good?"

And that sent his irritation higher. He was glad for the arrival of Lanie's coffee because not only did he not want to talk about his relationship with Lanie in a more general sense, he definitely didn't want to talk about it in a coffee shop. Were they dating, yeah, but did that mean they were whatever the adult equivalent was to boyfriend and girlfriend? He didn't know. And with Lanie, he didn't want to assume.

Javier climbed behind the wheel and Ryan fell into the passenger's seat, still pestering him to give details about him and Lanie. Javier kept his mouth shut as they wove through the streets. Finally, though, the poking and prodding got the better of him.

"Listen, man," he started as he swung the car into an empty parking spot outside the morgue, "What's between Lanie and I, is between Lanie and I. I'm not giving you details."

Ryan didn't really react other than to cock his head to the side. "Dude, you harped on me about Jenny for _months_."

"Yeah, so? It's a guy thing."

"Exactly." But Ryan's mind was actually down a different path. He'd kept his mouth shut about Jenny because he didn't want to ruin things with the blond. He wanted things to go well. He genuinely liked the girl. It had taken him months before he introduced the woman to Castle, Beckett and, most importantly Javier because he didn't want them to say or do something stupid. But Lanie… Lanie was one of theirs, and as loyal as he was to Javier, Ryan wanted to make sure that things with Lanie weren't just a passing fancy.

"It's my personal life, okay? We're partners, not sisters."

Really, to Ryan, that was clue enough. He was protective of his relationship with Lanie, so it wasn't a passing fling. If it was, Javier wouldn't have a problem sharing details, telling him everything. They'd done it before, before Jenny and, apparently, before Lanie. Now, however, it seemed like Javier had a different outlook on whatever was going on with him and the ME. Honestly, Ryan was happy about it and happy for his friends.

Still, he grinned and said, "Should I be adding an extra fifteen minutes to our commute time so you can drop that off at your girlfriend's?"

The glare Javier shot him was totally worth the dig.


End file.
